The FA will not take any action against Stoke City midfielder Charlie Adam despite Tottenham Hotspur's anger over his challenge which injured Paulinho in Sunday's Premier League clash.

The 25-year-old international is likely to be out for at least four weeks and will miss four league matches and the FA Cup third-round tie at Arsenal on Saturday.

Referee Kevin Friend did not see the heavy second-half challenge, the fifth time that Scotland midfielder Adam had been involved in incidents with Spurs players after two involving Gareth Bale, and others affecting Scott Parker and Jan Vertonghen.

He has also been sent off twice against Spurs, playing for both Liverpool and Stoke.

Spurs had written to the FA and asked them to take action against Adam.

"We are not happy and we have contacted the FA," a Tottenham spokesman said.

But an FA spokesman confirmed the case had been examined by the FA's three-man review panel but that no further action would be taken.

"Action can only be taken in unseen cases if the panel, all former referees, agree unanimously it is a red card incident and as this was not the case, no further action will be taken," he said.

Adam was booed by Spurs fans when he came on as a 50th-minute substitute for Stephen Ireland.

Twelve minutes later the Brazil international midfielder, who was playing a vital part in Tottenham's 3-0 victory, hobbled off after a crunching tackle from Adam near the halfway line.

Spurs confirmed on their website that Paulinho had an MRI scan on Monday and is likely to be out for at least four weeks with "significant ligament damage" to his right ankle.

Bale, who left Spurs for Real Madrid in the last transfer window, was hurt twice by Adam, the first time seriously when he suffered snapped ankle ligaments when Adam was playing for Blackpool.

The second incident occurred when Adam was playing for Liverpool in a pre-season friendly in the United States in 2012.

Adam tweeted on Tuesday: "Just for the record and to the people tweeting me abuse saying so, I don't and never have had anything against @SpursOfficial. And I would never intend to injure a fellow professional."